Bowling target

ABSTRACT

A bowling target for use in a competitive bowling game with two or more players. The face of the target is on a plane inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal surface on which the target rests, with a groove on the face of an irregular circular shape in which the ball may roll and rest. A slight ramp is placed before the front portion of the groove to deflect the ball over that portion of the groove, into the central area of the target face, where a concave recess in the center of the target face will retain a ball which barely rolls into said recess. The rear of the target is fitted with shaped protruding end walls of a concave shape. Various sections of the target face are marked with premium or penalty points.

Nelson 1 BOWLING TARGET [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, N.Y.

22 Filed: Mar. 29, 1972 211 Appl.No.:239,285

Frank Nelson, Commodore, Pa.

[52] US. Cl 273/127 B [51] Int. Cl A63b 71/00 [58] Field of Search 273/108, 113, 115, 273/118-127, 176-182 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,554,768 9/1925 Stoddart.....'. 273/127 B 1,315,927 9/1919 Geib 273/123 R 1,364,668 1/1921 Wi1lis0n.. 273/115 2,606,028 8/1952 Zion 273/127 B X 677,905 7/1901 Tribble.... 273/119 R 727,196 5/1903 Reed 273/127 R 2,908,503 10/1959 Austin et a1. 273/125 A X 3,070,372 12/1962 Brinati et a1. 273/178 R [451 Sept. 25, 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 117,587 11/1926 Switzerland.....'. 273/127 B Primary ExaminerRichard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner-Richard .1. Apley At0rney1-loward I. Podell [57] 7 ABSTRACT A bowling target for use in a competitive bowling game with two or more players. The face of the target is on a plane inclined at an acute angle to the horizontal surface on which the target rests, with a groove on the face of an irregular circular shape in which the ball may roll and rest. A slight ramp is placed before the front portion of the groove to deflect the ball over that portion of the groove, into the central area of the target face, where a concave recess in the center of'the target face will retain a ball which barely rolls into said recess. The rear of the target is fitted with shaped protruding end walls of a concave shape. Various sections of the target face are marked with premium or penalty points.

2 Claims, 3- Drawing Figures PATENTEB SEPZ 5 I973 Fla, 2 f

BOWLING TARGET SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a target for use in bowling, and particularly for use in a competitive game involving two or more players.

The advantage of the target is that it enables bowlers to set up a game of bowling skill, utilizing an existing walkway or lawn on which one or more of the targets are located.

The target consists of an inclined surface on which an irregular circular concave groove is located for entrapping a slow moving ball reach said groove. A-ramp is located before the front portion of said groove to deflect a rolling ball over thegroove and into either a premium or a penalty area beyond. A small circular recess is located in the center area of the target face, with the recess marked with the number of premium points awarded to the player whose ball lands in said recess. The rear of the target is bound by a short curved wall, shaped so as to roll any ball reaching it from the sides into the central area for the purpose of hitting a ball resting in a central premium position out of said premium position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Turning now descriptively to the drawing, in which similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 illustrates the face 11 of target which is bounded on each side by upraised straight side walls 12, and in the rear by an upraised rear wall 17. Rear wall 17 is curved in the vertical plane, presenting a concave section 22 on each side of the middle joined by a projecting section 18 that is directed forwards toward the central section 29 of target face 11.

As shown in FIG. 2, the face 11 of the target 10 is mounted on a slight incline which rises to the rear of the target. A concave groove 13 of an irregular circular shape surrounds the central section 29 of the target face 1 1 with a concave circular recess 19 being located in the general central area 29 of the target face 11.

The groove 13 is shaped in circular form for approxigroove, coming to rest in the lowest portion 26 of the reverse arc to the rear of the central area 29.

A ramp 15 is located on the target face 11 directly in front of the mid-forward position of irregular circular groove 13, with the ramp height increasing towards the rear of the ramp 15 so as to deflect a' rolling ball '20 over the irregular circular groove 13 and towards the central area 29 of the target face 11. A second ramp 16 is located directly opposite the first ramp 15 with respect to the irregular circular groove 13, so as to deflect a rapidly rolling ball 20 over the central recess 19, with the ramp height of the second ramp l6 rising towards the rear of the target. The rear vertical face 21 of the second ramp l6 prevents a ball resting against its rear vertical face 21 from rolling further down the target face 11 towards the front section of the target.

In use, one or more targets are used with one or more balls 20 shown in FIG. 3, each said ball 20 being of a radius designed to roll in groove 13 and to rest in the lowest portions 25 or 26 of groove 13 or in the concave circular recess 19, despite the inclination of target face 11. A ball which is rolled towards the central area 29 of the target face with too great a force jumps over the lower ramp 15 and over the lower portion 25 of irregular circular groove 13 and rolls in and out of central recess 19, as well as in and out of the upper portion 24 v of irregular shaped circular groove 13 hitting the middle projecting section 18 of the rear wall 17 and rolling in the vertically concave wall section 22 towards one side 12 or the other side of the target 10. Such a ball then rolls down the target'face 11 and off the target. Balls rolled with lesser force may land in some portion of the irregular circular groove 13, or in the central recess 19 with the player receiving premium points as marked on the target face 11. A ball resting against the rear face 21 ofthe second ramp 16 would result in a penalty being assessed the player rolling such a ball. Alternate players have the option of attempting to knock a competitors ball out of its resting location, by rolling their ball up the ramp along side wall 12 and into the vertical concave face 22 of the rear wall in the expectation that concave face 22 of the rear wall will deflect their ball towards the central position 29 where the competitors ball may be located. If they are able to hit a competitors ball that is resting on the central recess I 19 with just the right amount of impact force, the commately 135 of are on each side 23 of the central area wards in the groove 13 to the lowest portion 25 of said 6 groove 13 in front of the central area 29. A ball which lands in the arc section 24 of the reverse curve will also roll downwards in the reverse arc portion 24 to the petitors ball will be pushed into the penalty area adjacent to the rear wall 21 of the second ramp l6, and their ball may now rest in the premium position of the central recess 19.

Since obvious changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described herein, it is indicated that all matter contained herein is intended as illustrative and not as limiting in scope.

I claim:

1. A portable target for use in a bowling game, in which one .or more balls are rolled by each player, the face of said target being on a plane that is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface on which the target may be placed, and the front of said target face being located towards the intersection of the plane of the tararea, together with a first ramp located in front of a portion of said irregular circular groove so as to deflect a ball, riding up the ramp, to jump over the said irregular circular groove, with a second ramp, inclined generally parallel to the first said ramp, placed on the other side of the said irregular circular groove opposite to the first ramp so as to prevent a ball which has jumped over the second ramp from rolling back down the inclined target face into the said irregular circular groove, and with raised walls mounted to the sides and rear of the target face so as to prevent a bowled ball from rolling off the sides or rear of the target face, with the rear wall curved in the vertical plane so that the middle portion of the rear wall protrudes forward to a pointed shape in the mid-section of the rear wall,

with the rear wall curving backwards from said protrusion on each side of said protrusion to the halfway point between the protrusion and eitherside of the target face, and then curving forwards again as the rear wall surface joins the side wall surface, so that the path of a ball which is rolled to the target face along the inner side of either side wall is curved by the shape of the rear wall to cause said ball, if it is traveling with sufficient velocity, to reverse its direction and to roll forward towards the central section of the target face.

2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which marks representing premium points or penalty points are indicated at appropriate sections of the target face to denote the score value of a ball which rests in a recess in such sections of the target face. 

1. A portable target for use in a bowling game, in which one or more balls are rolled by each player, the face of said target being on a plane that is inclined with respect to the horizontal surface on which the target may be placed, and the front of said target face being located towards the intersection of the plane of the target face and the plane of the surface on which the target is located, with a concave groove formed in the face of said target of an irregular circular shape thaT encircles the central target face area, with a concave recess formed in the face of said target in the central target face area, together with a first ramp located in front of a portion of said irregular circular groove so as to deflect a ball, riding up the ramp, to jump over the said irregular circular groove, with a second ramp, inclined generally parallel to the first said ramp, placed on the other side of the said irregular circular groove opposite to the first ramp so as to prevent a ball which has jumped over the second ramp from rolling back down the inclined target face into the said irregular circular groove, and with raised walls mounted to the sides and rear of the target face so as to prevent a bowled ball from rolling off the sides or rear of the target face, with the rear wall curved in the vertical plane so that the middle portion of the rear wall protrudes forward to a pointed shape in the mid-section of the rear wall, with the rear wall curving backwards from said protrusion on each side of said protrusion to the halfway point between the protrusion and either side of the target face, and then curving forwards again as the rear wall surface joins the side wall surface, so that the path of a ball which is rolled to the target face along the inner side of either side wall is curved by the shape of the rear wall to cause said ball, if it is traveling with sufficient velocity, to reverse its direction and to roll forward towards the central section of the target face.
 2. The combination as recited in claim 1 in which marks representing premium points or penalty points are indicated at appropriate sections of the target face to denote the score value of a ball which rests in a recess in such sections of the target face. 